


Aerodynautical

by festivalofpudding (berreh)



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Canon, First Time, Hypnotism, Look Ma No Hands, M/M, Orgasm Control, Voice Kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-12 13:36:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11738154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berreh/pseuds/festivalofpudding
Summary: Link needs to de-stress, and afterGMM #713he thinks he’s found a way. But when Rhett agrees to help, he taps into something more than either of them bargained for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fuck it, I'mma post my weird fetish fic ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ enjoy

_i'm hanging on your words_  
_living on your breath_  
_feeling with your skin_  
_will i always be here?_  
([x](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_6GYfSea5Y))

 

**1.**

Whenever he looked back on that first day, Rhett never could figure out how Link found the courage to ask.

There’d been nothing to encourage him — just the opposite, in fact. The whole crew had mocked the episode and its subject from the first pitch at the writers meeting, and Rhett had been the worst offender. Since the segment wrapped that morning he’d kept them all in stitches, randomly bugging out his eyes to yell _SLEEP NOW!_ at passersby until everyone doubled over with giggles. Everyone, Rhett realized later, except Link.

During an after-lunch coffee break Kevin remarked, “You know, I saw one of those stage shows once. But the guy wasn’t making people cluck like chickens or whatever — no, see, he would get a bunch of hot girls up on stage, right, and then just by like counting to ten he could make them... you know.”

Lizzie and Stevie groaned in unison. Grimacing, Chase said, “That’s creepy, dude.”

“Oh come on, those chicks were in on it. It’s all an act. You can’t make people do shit like that unless they want to.”

“I think that’s the whole point,” said Lizzie. “Those shows are just an excuse to get crazy in public and then pretend like it wasn’t really you. And once you get up there you have to keep up the act, even if it means clucking like a chicken or whatever, because otherwise we’d have to admit that we _want_ to go on stage and have an orgasm in front of a thousand people.” Glancing around, she added, “Rhetorical ‘we’, of course.”

“Of course,” said Stevie.

Chase tossed his empty soda can in the bin. “Well, anyway, I think the segment’s gonna be great. That shot of Rhett going WWE is epic, man.”

“That’s what the thing said to do!” Rhett cried. “I swear! Don’t blame me, blame Stevie, she gave it to me.”

“Oh sure, blame Stevie. That’s the answer to everything around here. I just printed out a web page, I didn’t tell you to try to break Link’s neck.”

“ _What the crap!_ ” cried Lizzie in her best Link cracked-falsetto, and everyone burst into laughter.

Still giggling, the crew took their drinks and dispersed to return to whatever they’d been working on, leaving the kitchen one by one until only Rhett and Link remained.

Rhett was brewing up a fresh cup of tea, but Link merely leaned against the fridge, staring down into a mug of lukewarm coffee. Rhett knew that look — he recognized it the moment Link entered the kitchen, and it was the reason he’d decided to linger for a second cup. Link wanted to talk to him about something, and was collecting the words to get it started. It would do no good to rush him, so Rhett gave him space and waited. He dunked his teabag extra slowly, added the honey drop by drop, placed his spoon carefully in the sink, and brought the cup to his lips to blow across the steamy surface a few times before he finally spoke.

“You got a fly in there?”

“Rhett… I been thinking.”

“Uh oh. Thinking what?”

“I know you think this episode is stupid—”

“I do not, I think it’s gonna be great.”

“No, you think it’s gonna be _funny_ ,” Link snapped, and the edge in his voice told Rhett to tread lightly if he wanted to get anything else out of him. Link loved cutting up and acting the fool as much as anyone, but he would ice over in a heartbeat if he felt like he was being truly mocked. Rhett had never known anyone more keenly aware of the difference between ridiculous and ridiculed.

He shrugged. “Me falling in your lap like an idiot, yeah, that’s pretty funny. But what you were thinking?”

Mollified, Link sipped his coffee and cleared his throat before answering. “Well... I want to try again.”

“No, dude, it’s fine, we don’t need—”

“That’s not what I meant. I don’t want to redo the episode. I want to try again.”

“Try what again? ...Wait, you mean try again? Like for real?” He started to laugh, but quashed it the instant he saw Link’s face. “But I mean, it’s fake, we saw that. It doesn’t work. You were dogging it as much as I was.”

“No, I was dogging all that stage crap. That was just for the show. And you never really tried — you were making fun of it the whole time, you didn’t bother hiding it.”

Rhett frowned. Had he been that obvious? It seemed like Link had been way more dismissive of the whole thing than he was, honestly. Had that just been projection? Or something else?

Link didn’t pause long. “And the cameras and stuff, everyone watching us... it was never gonna work like that. But I was telling the truth: that one time, right before you grabbed me, I honestly think I started to feel something. I’m serious! I did.”

“Really? I mean, yeah, I thought it was kind of weird when you said ‘I really want this to work,’ but you say a lot of weird stuff on camera. So you were really trying to do it? You really wanted me to...?” He trailed off, nonplussed and a little uncomfortable. “Why?”

Link sighed. “You know what, it’s stupid, forget I said anything. I’m—”

“Hey.” Rhett abandoned the teacup on the counter and moved closer. Link tensed, but he eased a little when Rhett put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey. Talk to me, man. I’m not gonna rag on you. For real.”

He watched the wrestling match behind Link’s eyes, gave him space until it passed. Link nursed his coffee, both hands wrapped tight around the mug to shop his fingers from fidgeting.

“OK. So, you know how I’m so tense all the time?”

“I have noticed that on occasion, yes.”

“Well it’s been bothering me. Like, more than usual. We’ve been doing so much this month trying to get ready for the break, and it’s all kind of... piled up on me, I guess? I’m having a hard time ditching it at night. That’s why I asked you about that meditation app.”

“I thought you tried it. You didn’t like it?”

“I tried it. I tried a bunch of apps, and some audio tracks too, and none of them worked. It’s just like when I did that guided class at yoga. I start thinking about stuff, I get self-conscious, I can’t get into it. I really think it could help me if I could do it right, but I can’t. ...But then, that one time this morning, it felt like something was finally starting to click. For just a second I thought, maybe something like this could actually work.”

Rhett was baffled. This was not the conversation he had been expecting. “So instead of going to yoga, you want to... get hypnotized?”

“I mean, it’s all basically the same thing. Meditation or hypnosis or visualization or whatever you call it, it’s just a way of making your brain shut up for a minute. The person doing it, they’re just helping you get in the zone. It’s scientific — they’ve mapped the brain-waves. It’s legit therapy. People do it for studying, for phobias, all kinds of stuff. But one of the big ones is anxiety. That’s why I said I really wanted this to work. And I honestly think it might. But I can’t do it by myself.”

“What about a therapist? People do that, right?”

Link shook his head. “Yeah, but not me. I couldn’t do that in front of a stranger.”

“But you did it in front of the crew?”

“I did it for the show. I did it because you were there. And even with you being a smart-ass the whole time and everyone watching us, I still felt something. I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was just cause I wanted it to work so bad, or maybe it’s because it was you, because your voice—” He stopped abruptly, and took a swig from his mug. Rhett knew better than to interrupt him now. “Apps and audio and whatever — those are strangers, you know? They’re strangers. I don’t know them. I know you. You’ve always been good at calming me down, ever since we were kids. You could always get me to focus on stuff when no one else could. I guess I thought if this was ever gonna work, the only person who could do it would be you. You know... because I trust you.”

He gulped down the rest of his coffee, and then finally let himself look up. When he met Rhett’s eyes, his face fell.

“No, you’re right, it’s dumb. It was a random thought I had, that’s all. It’s crazy. Forget it.”

“Wait. Wait — Link, _stop_. I don’t think it’s crazy. I don’t get it, but I don’t think it’s crazy. You caught me off guard, that’s all. I knew you were self-conscious, but I thought you were gonna ask me if your hair looked weird on camera or something. But listen. Yeah, I think what we were doing was pretty stupid, but I know there’s legit stuff out there. If you really want to try it, and you want me to help, you know I will.”

He gave Link the oldest smile, the one they saved for when no one else was around. Link smiled too.

Rhett took the empty coffee mug from his hand and turned to the coffee pot. “So when do you want to do this?”

“Oh — um. I didn’t think that far ahead, honestly.”

Rhett grinned. “That’s what I’m for. Tell you what, why don’t you type up some stuff you want me to say, and we’ll give it a shot after everyone leaves tonight. No reason to wait, right? I’m not busy.”

Link bit his lip, considering. “OK. Yeah, I can do that. Gives me a couple hours to change my mind.”

“Why would you change your mind?” He handed Link the steaming mug, but kept hold of it until Link looked up at him. “Hey. You asked me for help, brother. I got you, you know that. Have I ever let you down?”

Link sipped his fresh coffee and grinned. “No, Rhett. You never have.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**2.**

The first thing Rhett did was review the dailies. Link was right when he said Rhett hadn’t taken it seriously; he thought the whole thing was bullshit, to be honest, and this opinion was clearly visible on his face during the segment. He saw himself reading the spiel off the monitor: talking too fast, waving his hand around like a DUI test on Cops, side-eyeing the camera with a smirk at the corner of his mouth and the crew snickering in the background. He was in full Rhett mode, that was for sure. And yet... if you watched Link’s eyes...

Rhett watched the clip again, and then again. At first he thought it was the studio lights, but no, it was right there as plain as day. In the first countdown Link’s eyes began to blink rapidly; in the second, even after they got the giggles and had to start over, they did it again. If Rhett hadn’t lunged when he did, would Link’s eyes have actually closed right there in front of God and everyone? He remembered smirking at the camera while making Link look up and down over and over, but he was just being a smartass — only now did he really see how far Link’s head dipped forward, how his hands went still and his shoulders went round and loose.

“Damn,” Rhett said softly.

He still thought the concept was woo-woo nonsense at worst, placebo effect at best — but he was wasn’t about to half-ass this now. After 30 years it still took an effort for Link to open up when something embarrassed him, even to Rhett. And this definitely embarrassed him. Why? Hell, they’d done way weirder stuff on the show, forget about their younger days. Trying to hypnotize each other ranked pretty low on the bizarreness scale, all things considered. But something about this particular request made Link feel something more than self-conscious chagrin. It made him feel guilty. No, more even than that: it made him feel shame. Why?

~

After the last crew member went home for the night, Rhett returned from locking up to find Link in their office, fussing with some magazines on the coffee table. In the time it had taken him to shut the doors and turn off the studio lights, Link had cleaned and organized nearly half their office. Rhett stood in the doorway and watched him, hiding a grin beneath his beard.

“You ready?”

“Lock the door,” Link said.

“There’s nobody here, man.”

“Lock the door.”

“OK, OK.”

He closed the office door and threw the deadbolt. Link had already closed the curtains; now he switched on the corner lamp and killed the overheads, dimming the room to a soft neutral glow.

“You wanna put on some mood music?”

Link glared at him. “Don’t.”

“What? I’m just trying to chill you out, dude. Take it easy. I told you, I’m up for this if you are. Did you print something out for me?”

Link patted his phone in his jeans pocket. “I got something off a therapist’s website. I thought we’d start with what we did in the episode, but without the—” he waved his hands around dramatically— “and all that. To see what happens.”

“OK. And if it works, then, what, I’ll make you an audio track you can listen to at home? That’s what you had in mind, right?”

“Oh,” Link said. “Um, yeah. Yeah, that’s what I had in mind.”

“Well, alrighty then, I’m ready if you are. Pop a squat and let’s do this.”

Link handed Rhett his phone and went to his favorite chair, a battered recliner upholstered in ancient red corduroy. He napped in this chair a lot, so much in fact that Rhett joked it had a Link’s-ass-shaped dent in the cushions. Now he flopped down with a whump and extended the recliner, leaning back against the faded upholstery. A second later he sat up and pulled off his shoes one by one, tossing them aside before flopping back again. He laced his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling, wiggling his toes inside his socks.

“Link.”

“What?”

“You gotta relax, man. No one’s watching. It’s just you and me. If you want this to work, then so do I. Honest. OK? I got you. It’s me.”

Link nodded. He drew in a long, deep breath and let it out, settling himself into the chair.

“You should probably take your glasses off.”

Rhett rolled his desk chair up beside the recliner — close enough for Link to see him without his glasses, but not _too_ close — and waited while Link got himself situated: folding his glasses, adjusting the chair, tugging at his shirt hem, fussing with his hair, and finally settling down with his hands laced atop his belly. “OK.”

“Alright, let’s see what you got here.”

As he scrolled through the document on Link’s phone, Rhett suddenly realized he was feeling a little tense himself: his heart was beating way too fast, and his fingertip left moist smears on the screen. It was the same sensation that had come on him back in the kitchen when Link said _you know... because I trust you_. He scrubbed his palm on his thigh and ran a hand through his hair, then forced himself to focus on the text Link had gathered so he could make it sound smooth and natural. He still remembered the scripts from this morning, and he knew to ad-lib on the fly and make something his own.

“Close your eyes for me. We’re not doing anything yet. Take a good deep breath and let it out, and whenever you’re ready, open your eyes.”

When Link opened his eyes, Rhett held up his right hand at arm’s length, just close enough for Link to focus on, forefinger pointing skyward as he’d done that morning. Then, keeping his voice low and even, he began to speak.

“OK, now focus on the tip of my finger, here — don’t stare it down, just let your eyes rest on that point. Yeah, like that, that’s perfect. Just keep your eyes right there, focused on my hand. Good. Nice and easy, just letting your eyes rest on that spot at the tip of my finger. And while you’re focusing there, start to think about your breathing. Start to think about each breath as you take it. Notice how the air goes in and out of your chest each time you breathe. In… and out. Just like that. Nice and slow. Feel the air moving in... and out. And every time you breathe out, feel how the tension starts to go out of you along with the breath. Just like that. With every exhale, a little more relaxed. In… and out. Keep focusing on me, keep listening. Breathing in... and out.”

Link’s eyes began to blink in rapid succession.

“If your eyes feel like blinking, that’s OK, go ahead and let them. That’s fine. Keep breathing, keep watching. You’re the one doing this, not me. You’re the one letting yourself focus and relax. Breathing in... and out. You’re blinking more now, that’s good. A little more relaxed with every breath. Focused on my finger, on my voice. Breathing in and out. Counting down from five... feeling yourself relax as you listen to my voice... four... eyes blinking more and more now, starting to get heavy, try to keep them on my finger... three... slowing down now, slowing, every breath pulling you down, eyes so tired and heavy... two... harder and harder to keep them open, until you finally let them close. One.”

Link’s eyes instantly fell shut.

For a moment, Rhett could only stare at him in open-mouthed shock.

“...Link?”

A soft, breathy voice answered him. “Yeah?”

“Are you OK?”

“Yeah.”

Gone were the fidgety nerves, the furtive glances, the self-conscious blush. His body had gone completely slack: shoulders soft, arms loose, legs sprawled, every trace of tension drained from his throat, his jaw, his face. The only motion in him was the slow rise and fall of his chest and the subtle shifts of his eyes moving behind their lids. Link possessed an uncanny ability to sleep like a corpse in any location, but no matter how hard he crashed out, there always remained a subtle hint of reserve that only Rhett could see: the faintest tension in the fingers, the tiniest shadow around the eyes. Not now. Now everything about him had become wholly, utterly, unnervingly still. Link looked entirely... unwound.

 _Holy shit,_ Rhett thought. _Is this for real? Is he faking me out?_

He bit his lip, then reached out and gently tucked Link’s hair behind his ear. Link did not stir. Rhett ran his fingers through Link’s bangs until he’d smoothed them all the way to one side, exposing both ears and his forehead. Still Link did not move: not a flinch, not a twitch, not a hint of a frown or a grin. His lips remained parted, his brow smooth and soft. He wasn’t faking. This was real.

Rhett sat back in his chair, dumbfounded. There was no way he could have prepared himself for seeing Link like this, but what truly shook him was his own reaction to it. For a moment he was so unnerved that he forgot what he was supposed to do next. He paused to wipe his sweaty palms on his jeans, rub his dry mouth, try to find his place in the notes. His voice threatened to crack, but after swallowing a few times he managed to keep it low and even.

“That’s great, Link. That’s perfect. Now I want you to think about how you’re feeling right now. Feel yourself breathing, listen to your heart beating strong and slow. Think about how nice it is to relax like this, to let yourself feel comfortable and calm. ...That’s good. ...Now in just a minute I’m going to start counting again, from five to one, and this time as I count, at your own pace and in your own time, I want you to let yourself wake up. Counting now from five… slow and steady… four... take your time... three... more awake now... two... and one.”

Link’s eyes opened, big and blue. He stared at Rhett first in wide-eyed surprise, then with a huge, lopsided grin.

“You OK?” Rhett asked.

“Oh my gosh. That was... wow. That was intense.” Suddenly he beamed. “I knew it. I knew it! You did it, Rhett. It worked!”

“I didn’t do anything. You...” Rhett looked around for his water bottle to wet his parched throat. “Holy crap, Link. That was freaky, man. You were – I had no idea.”

Faint color tinged Link’s cheeks. “It felt nice.”

“You want to keep going? That was just the first part.“

Link nodded. “Yeah, I think we—” He paused, frowning, and reached up to touch his forehead. “Did you mess up my hair?”

“...You didn’t feel that?”

“No. Well — I mean, now that you mention it, I kind of remember you doing it. I just didn’t care. What the heck, man? What was that for?”

“I was trying to see if you were faking.”

That turned the frown to a grin as Link dragged his bangs back across his forehead. “Good call. Now we both know I wasn’t.”

He settled back into the recliner and laced his hands on his belly once more, while Rhett scrolled a bit through the text.

“So... that was the part labeled ‘induction’. We’ll do that again, then keep going to the part labeled ‘deepener’. Then comes the anti-anxiety exercises, then waking back up. Does that sound right?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Rhett repeated the focusing exercise, exactly as he’d done before. This time it took half as long for Link’s eyes to start blinking, and they slid shut before Rhett reached the N in ‘one’.

_Jesus, look at that. I say something and he just... goes. He just goes._

“That’s good, Link. You’re doing great. Just lay there for a second and feel yourself breathing. Now we’re going to help you relax even more, even deeper than you are right now. Are you ready? I want you to picture a dial that goes from 1 to 10, like the knob on an amp. Can you see it? The dial is set at ten right now, but in a second I’m going to start counting backward, and if you watch you’ll see the dial start to move. Keep watching as it starts to turn from ten... to nine... relaxing more and more... to eight… keep watching the dial, Link… down to seven… then to six… muscles relaxing more and more… five… four… perfectly comfortable, safe and calm… three... two … so close now, nearly there... and one.”

Rhett paused. “Link?”

His voice was so soft it was barely audible. “Mm?”

“You OK?”

“Mm.”

He had never seen Link’s face so calm and peaceful, not even when they were children.

_Did I do this? No. This is him. Look at him. He's beautiful._

Nearly a minute passed before Rhett shook himself and found his place in the script.

“That’s great, Link, you’re doing great. I want you to think about how you’re feeling right now — how easy it is to let yourself relax like this, how nice it feels to let yourself become calm and comfortable. We hold our stress and our worry in our bodies like a jar filled to overflowing, but if we learn how we can pour the tension out as easily as pouring out water. When you go to bed tonight, throughout the night and morning hours, I want you to remember how you’re feeling right now, and how easily you can return to this place by focusing on your breathing and relaxing your muscles one by one. If a thought or a worry comes up, you can simply notice it and then let it fade away, tune it out like background noise. If a worry starts to overwhelm you, you can focus on your breathing, or on relaxing your muscles, and feel it subside. All you have to do is allow yourself to feel safe and calm, allow yourself to let go and stop thinking. The more you do it, the easier it will become.”

He paused. That was all Link had gathered for this part, but Rhett was unwilling to break the spell.

“OK, now in a moment I’m going to start counting you back from five to one. And as I count, at your own pace, slowly and safely, let yourself come back to being awake. You can remember how you feel right now and keep it for when you need it, but right now it’s time to come back. Here we go.... five... slow and steady... four... at your own pace... three... becoming more awake... two... almost back now... and one.”

Link’s eyes popped open. “Did it work? Wait...” He seemed to look inward for a moment, and then he sat bolt upright in the chair. “It worked! We got through the whole thing! You did it!”

“I didn’t do anything, man. I just talked. You did... whatever you did. You OK? How do you feel?”

“Fine. Great. Pretty freakin stoked, actually.” Eyeing Rhett, his grin faltered. “That wasn’t too weird for you, was it?”

Rhett set the sweat-smeared phone out of sight and spread his hands palms down on his thighs. “Nope.”

Link stretched a few times in the chair: wiggled his toes, shrugged his shoulders, cracked his neck, then hopped up and reached for his shoes.

“Hey, be careful. Take it easy. You gonna be OK to drive?”

“It’s hypnosis, Rhett, not anesthesia. I’m fine.” He bent to tie his shoes and said, “Now that we know it works, I’ll write something for you to record so you don’t have to do this again. I doubt this is how you want to spend your time after work.”

“I don’t mind.”

Link paused. “Really?”

“I mean, yeah, I was weirded out at first, but it looks like this really did something for you, so.” He shrugged. “If you want to practice again, I don’t mind. I mean, if you want.”

Abruptly he got up and switched on the overhead lights. The room turned bright, and somehow the air felt cooler and lighter. Rhett cut the lamp and fished his keys off his desk, shoved them in his pocket, fussed with a loose thread on his shirt. Link stood up and followed him to the door, slipping his phone into his pocket.

“If you really mean it, let’s do it again tomorrow. One more time ought to do it. Just so I can get the hang of it. You know... for science.”

Rhett ran a sweaty hand through his hair and gave him a smile. “For science.”


	3. Chapter 3

**3.**

During a moment alone in the kitchen the next morning, Rhett asked: “So... how are you doing?”

Link was stretching up to retrieve a box of Mini-Wheats from the cupboard. “Do you really want to know?”

“Nope. Couldn’t care less.”

“Well for your information, I slept better last night than I have in weeks.”

Rhett stopped dunking his teabag. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. My head hit the pillow and bam, I was dead to the world.”

“That’s never been your problem, brother.”

“No, but when I’m stressed out I wake up like a hundred times a night. It don’t matter how fast you fall asleep if you’re just gonna wake up again in an hour. Last night I shut my eyes at 11:15 and the next time I looked at the clock it was 4:30. That is _crazy._ ”

“And you think it’s because of... that?”

“Why not? Nothing else was different.” Link grabbed the milk from the fridge but paused before pouring it. “Why, did you change your mind? You can, you know. It’s OK.”

“I’ll be honest with you, man, I still don’t really get this whole thing. But I know how much I like my meditation app, so if this helps you out the same way, I’m down to keep going.”

“Cool. And seriously, one more time ought to get it, and then I can do it myself.”

He closed the fridge and dug around in the drawer for his favorite spoon. Rhett blew a few times across the surface of his tea, watching him.

“You really think it helped?”

“I really do. Even if you did get all...” Link’s voice trailed off and he stared into the distance: eyes bugged-out and huge, one brow arched dramatically.

“Is that supposed to be me? Because I am deeply offended.”

Link closed the drawer and patted Rhett’s cheek. He shoveled a massive spoonful of cereal into his mouth and left the kitchen, grinning as he chewed.

~

When Rhett entered the office after locking up that night, Link was already there waiting for him. The lamp was on and his shoes were off; he lay curled in the red chair with his knees drawn up, clutching a pillow as he dozed.

“I thought you weren’t coming. I was getting ready to take a nap.”

“Sorry. Kevin was working on something and I didn’t want to kick him out.”

Without further ado he grabbed his desk chair and rolled it over to get started. Link tossed the pillow and started to pull out his phone, but Rhett stopped him before he could hand it over. “No need. I saved what you sent me yesterday and added some stuff.”

“Really?”

Rhett held up the phone, all unlocked and ready to go. “Boopity-boop-boop. I figured if I’m gonna do this, might as well do it all the way, right?”

Link smiled, but he was also trying to peer around Rhett’s hand and get a look at the screen. “What is it?”

“Same stuff from yesterday. Relax, breathe deeply, bark like a dog, give me all your money.”

“Ha ha.”

“It’s the same as last night, pretty much. I just added a couple lines from some stuff I researched. If you don’t like it, just tell me and we’ll start over with yours. This is your thing, not mine.”

Link eyed him without answering, but the little grin pulling at the corner of his mouth spoke for him. Rhett grinned back, then reached over to take off his glasses.

It went the same as before: the fingertip, the breathing, the counting from five to one. Like clockwork Link’s eyes closed and he went slack and boneless, and again Rhett took a moment to marvel at the sight. There was something oddly moving about it — something special in the knowledge that he was the only human being on earth who would ever see Link like this. Something special, and a little exhilarating. Swallowing his nerves, he licked his lips and pressed ahead.

“OK, Link, what we’re going to do now is give you a word that we can use to help you come back to this place whenever you want. This is called a trigger word, and it’s used to skip the induction and get straight to the exercises you want to do. When we use this word, you can let yourself slip right into this state without focusing or counting. You can use it for yourself when you’re alone, and I can use it when we’re together like this. No one else will know what it is, and I will never say it unless we are alone. That way whenever you hear the word, you’ll know it’s safe to let go and come back to feeling just like you do right now, without waiting, without hesitation. Would that be OK? Will you let me do that for you?”

Link nodded.

“The word is aerodynautical. Say it for me, Link.”

Link’s mouth quirked in a sleepy grin. “Aerodynautical.”

“That’s right. It’s a stupid word because I made it up. It’s nonsense, and that means no one will ever know about it but us. That makes it special and safe. OK, Link, so our word is aerodynautical. Now I think we should practice with it, don’t you? Let’s practice with it. In a minute I’m going to count you back from three to one, and as I do I want you let yourself wake up. Then I’ll say our word, and you can let yourself relax again. Is that OK? Do you understand?”

Link nodded.

“OK, here we go. Nice and easy, take your time. Three... two... one.”

Link’s eyes opened, and he was still grinning. Rhett shrugged.

“I wanted to pick something you’d never hear anywhere else.”

“I appreciate that.”

“You wanna try it?”

Link bit his lip.

Softly Rhett said, “I think you do. I think you want to try it, because you know you can do it. Aerodynautical.”

Link exhaled. His eyes began blinking rapidly.

“Aerodynautical, Link.”

Link’s eyes closed and his lip slipped free from between his teeth.

Something stirred within Rhett: a frisson, a rush, something hot and cold together, tingling in his belly and pounding in his chest. He didn’t know what it was, but he knew he it felt good. It felt _powerful_. In that exact moment something had shifted between him and Link, and as much as it mystified Rhett and even frightened him a little, he realized it also excited him, and thrilled him, and something in it might even arouse him.

“That’s good, Link. Right back where you were before. That's perfect. Every time we use your word it will get easier and easier for you, until you won’t even have to think about it anymore. It’ll be so easy to come back to this place, to let go and slip into the zone you want to be in, until just the sound of me saying it is all you need. That’s what I want to do for you, Link. Now in a minute we’re going to start your breathing exercises, but before we do that I’m going to tell you something. I want you to listen to me, Link, and I want you to remember what I’m saying. I want you to know how much it means to me that you trust me enough to let me do this for you. That you’re willing to be like this with me. This is our secret, Link and I promise I will never let anything happen to you. You will always be safe with me.”

Drowsy and soft, Link smiled.

~

They did it again the next night, and the night after that. Link kept saying he was writing a script for Rhett to record, and Rhett kept saying he was working on one too, and yet somehow they kept meeting in their office after the last employee went home and spending an hour in the dark with the red corduroy chair. The trigger word meant they could dispense with lengthy inductions and get right down to business: no focusing, no counting, just Link nodding the go-ahead and Rhett saying the word. It happened faster and more easily every time he said it. Soon Link’s eyelashes didn’t so much as flutter — his eyes simply rolled closed and his body went slack, straight to the bottom, like switching off a light. It happened so fast it was almost frightening. It was like witchcraft, like something out of a movie. _Say the magic word and you are under my power._

For four nights Rhett never deviated from the script: breathing exercises, releasing stress, allowing tension to leave the mind and body, sleeping through the night. He thought about adding in a few editorial suggestions here and there, something along the lines of “it’s very pleasant to chew quietly with your mouth closed” or “it’s not fun to rearrange the pens on Rhett’s desk without his permission”, but any such smart-ass addenda would surely have snapped Link right out of his vibe. Besides, it was fascinating enough giving him the suggestions he had asked for. Any discomfort Rhett initially felt wielding this kind of power over Link had long since given way to the satisfaction of knowing how much Link enjoyed it. Watching him go lax and placid on command... the breathy, high-pitched softness in his voice... the parted lips, the pulse in his throat, the tiny jerks of his eyes behind their lids... everything about it captivated Rhett in ways he did not yet care to analyze.

By Thursday he started to feel like he should be doing something more: something more advanced, more useful, more helpful, just _more_. He wanted to feel like he was doing everything he could for Link, not just repeating the same “you can let go of stress, anxiety is totes your bitch” mantras over and over. That stuff had to be getting old by now, right? And yet Link hadn’t mentioned changing anything. He must be getting something out of spending this time together — something he hadn’t yet shared with Rhett — or else he would have just asked for a recording after that first night and never brought up the subject again. There must be something else in this that Rhett did not yet know. But what?

After they had finished all the exercises that night, Rhett did not count Link up as he had the previous three sessions. Instead he sat there for a few minutes, watching his face, letting him rest in silence while he tried to figure out what to do next. Or rather, while he tried to figure out if he _should_ do what he wanted to do next. What harm could it be to ask a couple questions? If he crossed a line, Link would just wake up, right? Maybe he was secretly hoping Rhett would dig a little deeper without having to be asked. Maybe he wanted to ask for a different exercise, but hadn’t yet gathered the courage. Maybe he wasn’t sure what he needed and they could figure it out together. That was part of the therapist's job, wasn't it? If Link wouldn’t ask for what he wanted when he was awake, maybe he would do it while he slept. Maybe Link just needed a little suggestion.

“Does it help you when we do this, Link?”

“Yeah.”

“You like it when I do this for you?”

Softly: “Yeah.”

“I like it too. I want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help you relax. Is there anything else you want to talk about? Anything at all?”

“...No.”

“You can say anything to me, Link, you know that. You don’t ever have to hold anything back with me. You know me better than anyone, and I know you. I want to make sure I’m helping you all I can, giving you what you need. Is there something else you need from me, Link?”

Link did not answer. His brows twitched for the briefest instant: the slightest tremble, the faintest crease of apprehension.

“You’re safe here, Link. It’s just you and me. This is your safe place, safe here with me. You know that, don't you? You asked me for help, and I want to help you. I want to, Link. It's OK. Just tell me what you want and I’ll do it.”

That was when he saw it. Link drew a deeper breath, the slightest tremble, and Rhett’s eyes flitted down his body. There behind his jeans was an unmistakable swelling, a subtle roundness beneath thick denim. Link was at half mast. His dick was getting hard.

It rushed through Rhett like the drop of an elevator, the belly-flip on a roller-coaster — a pang of fear, a wave of euphoria. He was shocked, and aghast, and exhilarated, and giddy. A thousand things poured through him like a torrent in the space of a single heartbeat. He should have been mortified, appalled... but somehow in that endless moment when everything changed, nothing changed. It was like some part of Rhett had been swept up in whatever tide carried Link in its current, pulling them both under, powerless to resist. He knew he should stop, but all he wanted was to keep going. All he wanted was _more._

“You like this, don’t you, Link?”

“...Yeah.”

“It’s OK if you do, you know. I like it too. It feels good, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah it does. I know it does. It feels good to let everything go. It feels good to let me take care of you. You’re such a good listener, Link. And whatever you feel when we do this, when we’re together like this, it’s OK to let yourself feel it. Because you’re always safe with me, and whatever you’re feeling right now, it’s good. It’s good, Link. Whatever you’re feeling, it’s good and I want you to feel it more.”

Link’s breath came a little harder now. His hips shifted once, a subtle roll against the chair. The swelling in his jeans had grown to a soft curve.

_Holy shit, this is nuts, what the hell are you doing—_

Rhett shut down the clanging alarm bells in his head and licked his dry lips. 

"Do you think about me when you're alone, Link?"

"Yes."

"What do you think about?"

Link's hips rolled again, pressing his half-hard dick against the seam of his jeans. His hands closed into fists on his belly, and he sighed. 

"This."

_What are you doing this is Link, it's Link, it’s LINK—_

Exactly. This was Link. His Link. Link was his, and he was Link’s. And why not? 

"Does this make you hard, Link? Is that why you wanted to keep going? Because you like it when my voice makes you hard?"

Link moaned softly.

Rhett put down his phone and dug his knuckles in his eyes to clear them. He didn’t need a script now. He didn’t care anymore. Whatever was happening to them, Link wanted it, and Rhett realized he wanted it too. He knew now what Link wanted from him, and as terrifying as it was, he was damn sure going to give it to him. But not yet. Not yet. One more night, and then. _And then_. Rhett leaned forward in his chair, as far as he could, and spoke directly into Link’s ear.

“Listen to me, Link. Listen. What you’re feeling right now, I want you to feel it. I want you to let yourself feel it. And when you go home tonight, when you’re alone in your bed in the middle of the night, you’re going to remember what it felt like. You’re going to remember what my voice is making you feel, but you’re not going to remember the words I said. Only this. Only this, Link. And whatever you want to dream about tonight, you’re going to dream about it, and you’re going to like it, and you’re not going to feel any shame. Do you understand? Will you do that?”

Link nodded.

“That’s good, that’s very good, Link. Remember what I said. Now I’m going to count you back from five and I want you to let yourself calm down. Take a deep breath and let it out for me. Good, that’s good. One more time... good. OK, here we go. Five... let your body relax, your heartbeat slow... four... nothing tense, nothing stiff, whole body soft and still... three... slowing down, perfectly calm and peaceful... two... almost there now, so tired... and one.”

Rhett leaned back and looked at Link’s sleeping face. The faint flush in his cheeks was gone, as was the tiny crease between his brows. The bulge in his jeans had eased,  and everything about him was soft and still again. He breathed lightly, his pulse slow and strong in his neck, a trace of moisture shining on his lower lip. Rhett crossed his legs and rubbed his dry mouth.

“That’s perfect, Link. You’re doing so well. Just rest for a minute. Just breathe. It’s almost time for you to wake up, and when you do I don't want you to think about this. I don't want you to be embarrassed. But for right now, just between us, I want you to remember what I told you. And I want you to remember it tonight when you're alone, and I want you to remember it the next time I say your word. But only then. And only if you want to. Because you trusted me, Link, and I want you to keep on trusting me. You’ve given me a gift, and I intend to return the favor.”


	4. Chapter 4

**4.**

Link was late to work the next morning. It was nearly nine o’clock before he came sailing into reception, backpack on his shoulder and Starbucks cup in his hand.

“I feel like we need to commemorate this occasion somehow,” Stevie said to Lizzie. “Like record it for posterity. ‘The Day Link Was Late’.”

Lizzie nodded. “Legends have foretold of this day. I did not think I would live to see it.”

“Very funny. There was a wreck on Ventura. Check Twitter.”

He had never slowed down — he cruised past them all, waving to the interns before heading down the hall and into his & Rhett’s office.

“Staff meeting at 9:30!” Stevie called after him. She and Lizzie exchanged looks of _classic Link_ , shook their heads, and then Stevie left for her office and Lizzie went to put on some more coffee in the kitchen. Rhett waited until the girls were gone before he casually sauntered down the hall in Link’s wake.

In the office he closed the door behind him and said, “Everything OK?”

Link was chugging the rest of his latte; he held up a finger until he gulped down the last drop, then tossed the cup in the trash and stifled a burp. “I overslept.”

“You _overslept_?”

He sure as hell didn’t look like it. He looked like he’d just come from the gym: clear-headed, full of energy, ‘bright-eyed and bushy-tailed’, as his mama used to say.

“Not really, just a couple minutes. I left the house about the same time. It was the wreck that held me up. They’d already cleaned it up, at least, so I’m glad I didn’t have to see it.” He’d stashed his backpack under his desk and was bending to flip on his laptop. “Anyway, I’m here now, so. Before the meeting I want to go over the...”

He trailed off then, and turned to peer at Rhett.

“What?”

For a moment Link only stared at him, and then he shook his head. “Nothing. I just remembered a dream I had. It’s nothing, forget it.”

Rhett shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

He took a seat at his desk and hid behind his laptop before Link had a chance to see his face.

They tapped away in silence for a few minutes: booting up, checking messages, mundane start-your-day busywork. Rhett found himself stealing glances Link’s way more often than was prudent, only to see Link working like it was any other Friday morning: learning forward in his chair with his back straight and his ankles wrapped around the wheels, one knee bouncing in rhythm; squinting at his screen with his mouth in a little _oooh_ shape and his brows creased in concentration, quirked in an upside-down V. He looked perfectly normal — there was nothing in his demeanor that would indicate that last night he’d all but admitted he wanted to cross the forbidden line with his best friend. Rhett was the one with the morning-after jitters, or so it seemed. Was he just playing it cool? No, Link could never play it _that_ cool. Either nothing had happened, or something had happened and he just couldn’t remember it. Not consciously, anyway.

After pretending to scroll through Facebook for the fifteenth time, Rhett couldn’t take it anymore. He got up to toss some scrap paper in the trash — wandered to the window, stretched his back a couple times, played with a plant on the sill. Link kept typing. Rhett picked up a magazine, flipped through it, put it down. He pulled out his phone and checked his Twitter feed. Link kept typing. Rhett put his phone away, yawned, scratched his beard, moseyed a little closer to the desk. As soon as he was out of peripheral vision, he leaned down and spoke into Link’s ear.

“Aerodynautical.”

Link’s fingers froze. He blinked twice. “Wh—?”

“Aerodynautical, Link.”

His eyes lost focus and slid closed.

_Holy shit holy shit holy shiiiiitttttt...._

Link’s back was straight as a rod, but his knee had stopped bouncing. He sat motionless, hands still in place on the keys, breathing through parted lips.

“Can you hear me, Link?”

“Yes.”

“Did you do what I told you last night?”

Link nodded.

“Did you like it?”

Another nod.

“Did you dream?”

“Yeah.”

“What did you dream about, Link?”

“...You.”

Rhett’s dick jumped in his pants. He backed away and put both hands over his mouth, smoothing down his beard to compose himself. He took a few breaths until his heartbeat returned to normal, then reached down to adjust himself through his jeans with the heel of one hand. Crisis averted, he stepped up and casually jostled Link with one elbow.

“Hey, you there?”

Link flinched. “What?” His eyes darted around, and he whirled to stare at Rhett. “What just happened?”

“I asked if you wanted some coffee. You were zoned out.”

Link peered at him through narrowed eyes. “No. You did something. Did you...” Abruptly his brows shot up. _“Rhett!”_

“What? We’re alone. The door’s closed. It’s fine.”

“Are you serious?!”

“What?? I just wanted to see if it would work in the daytime.”

“It’s not a freaking magic spell, Rhett.”

“I dunno, kind of seems like one to me.”

Link’s jaw dropped, and Rhett pulled a face and elbowed him again, jostling his shoulder. “Dude, it’s OK, nothing happened. Take it easy. I was just messing with you. Come on, get your tablet. Let’s go. I wanna make some more tea before the meeting starts.”

Link eyed him for a minute, then pushed back from the desk and stood. “You’re lucky that I need more coffee.” He gathered his things and together they headed for the door. With his hand on the knob, Link turned and added, “But you are officially on notice.”

Rhett bowed in contrition. “Your notice has been noted.”

~

Friday afternoon at Mythical Entertainment: workstations empty, office doors closed, studio gone silent and dark. At the staff meeting that morning Rhett told the crew what a great job everyone had done — they’d worked their asses off that week, the whole month really, getting as many episodes as possible ready before spring break, and the result was going to be some quality GMM. He went on to say that anyone who wanted to could take off after lunch and start their weekend early. They’d earned it, after all. He didn’t have to make the offer twice. Most of the crew left at noon; Kevin stayed to check on some set pieces and took off around two, while Stevie stuck around to make some phone calls and was gone by three. By mid-afternoon the building was like a ghost town. Only Rhett and Link remained.

Link was finishing post-production on an intro segment, and he was determined to get it done before he went home for the weekend. Rhett left him to it and spent the afternoon in their office, attempting to get caught up on some writing. He gave it his best try, but he knew it was a lost cause. Since the moment he heard Link’s voice say a single word in a trembling, breathy voice, editing tracks and returning phone calls were the furthest thing from his mind.

“ _...You.”_

Rhett knew now what he wanted to do, and it was all he could think about. All his life he and Link had pushed each other’s buttons — each was the instrument the other played best, a perfect duet, every quirk and foible comfy and familiar like a well-worn remote or an old keyboard with the letters worn off. Finding a new button after all these years — a hidden key, a secret code, a switch nobody else could see — now that Rhett had pressed it, all he wanted to do was keep on pressing it. An idea had formed in his mind, vague at first, but after what happened that morning it began to take shape. Something someone had said that first day, maybe Chase or Kevin, he couldn’t remember… by midday Rhett’s mind was made up, and his laptop was a labyrinth of clandestine YouTube clips and Google Incognito tabs. He knew what he wanted to do for Link, and he was pretty sure Link wanted it too. He was terrified, and he couldn’t wait.

Sometime around 4:00 he trudged into the kitchen to grab a soda from the fridge. Link stood at the counter, brewing himself a drink: one of those K-Cup things in a giant mug, something froo-froo and sugary.

“A third cup? You’re gonna give yourself a stomachache.”

“I gotta get this segment done, man. It’s like my brain’s set on it now, I can’t leave till it’s done. I’m so close— What’s wrong with you? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what? I ain’t looking at you.” Rhett scoffed and bent to stick his head in the fridge, both to rummage for a drink and to let the cold air sneak under his shirt. He retrieved a can of Diet Dr. Pepper and popped the top, quaffing nearly half of it in a single thirsty gulp.

“Talk about a stomachache,” Link said with a grimace of distaste.

Rhett smiled at him and let out a loud belch.

“Charming.” Link shook his head and blew the steam from his mug, almost but not quite masking a grin. The coffee was still too hot to drink, so he put it down and turned to the counter to grab a spoon and give it a stir.

Sudden impulse shot through Rhett, so fast and overpowering that he didn’t have time to think better of it. Without warning he moved forward and pinned Link to the counter, cornering him with both hands on the marble, and bent his mouth to Link’s ear.

“Aerodynautical.”

Link had just set the spoon down. He was gone before he knew what hit him. His hand froze where it was, then went limp on the counter top. His shoulders softened against Rhett’s chest. Rhett smiled, and his beard made the fine hairs rise on Link’s neck.

“I know you like this, Link, or you wouldn’t let me do it. You do like it, don’t you?”

Link exhaled — a long, shivery sigh. He nodded, swaying between the counter and Rhett’s body.

“Yes.”

“It feels good, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“It feels good to me too. Seeing you like this. Making you feel like this. It makes me happy. You make me happy, Link.”

Link swallowed thickly, a sound like a half-gasp, half-moan.

“I will always be your best friend, Link, no matter what happens. Nothing can change that. Nothing can change us. You never have to worry about that. Do you hear me, Link? Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

“Yes.”

“I want you to go back and finish all the work you want to finish today. And when you’re all done for the night, I want you to come to our office. Only after you’re totally done and ready to go home. Then come to the office. Will you do that?”

Link nodded.

Rhett licked his lips once. He glanced at the empty doorway, and then he reached down and gave Link’s crotch a single grope. Link gasped, and his knees buckled.

“I have a present for you, Link. Don’t forget.”

He moved away, then coughed and slapped a boisterous hand on Link’s back. “Wake up, buddyroll!”

Link’s eyes snapped open.

“Stop _doing_ that!”

“Oh come on! No one’s even here anymore. Didn’t I promise? I promised. I meant it.”

“I don’t care.” He glanced down at himself for the briefest instant, then cleared his throat. “Well? What did you say?”

“You don’t remember?”

“Something about hanging out tonight? You could’ve just asked. You’re making it weird, Rhett. Stop making it weird.”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry. I’ll stop, for real this time. OK? Seriously.” He held up his hands in an ‘I swear’ gesture and stood aside to let Link pass before retrieving his soda. “I just... I couldn’t help it. You should see yourself like that, Link. You’re just so...”

“So what? Huh? So what?”

“So cute.”

“Cute.” Link’s eyes narrowed to slits, but his scowl was manufactured now. He flounced from the kitchen in a cloud of bruised dignity and faux indignation. From the next room he called: _“Cute!”_

“Cute!” Rhett hollered, and opened the fridge for another Dr. Pepper.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**5.**

As the clock ground its way around the final laps, Rhett gave up focusing on anything and tried to take a nap on the couch in the office. Every few minutes one eye would pop open to peer at the open door, checking to see if Link was standing there. No dice. Everything was ready: curtains drawn tight, lights off, lamp on. Rhett got up to pee, checked the messages on his phone, flopped down again, threw an arm over his eyes to block the view of the door. He lay there listening to the A/C kick on and off, and went through his plan again in his mind. Nothing more he could do but wait. What if Link didn’t show up? What if he _did?_

A muffled thump made him sit up with a jerk. Link stood at his desk, stuffing his things into his backpack.

“Sorry, I was trying to be quiet. I was gonna let you sleep a little longer.”

“You ready to get out of here?”

“Yeah.” Link zipped the backpack and hefted it, then stopped and set it back down. “No. I mean, not yet.”

Rhett’s heart began to beat faster.

“I know it’s Friday, you probably want to get home, but... I thought we could make an even week of it. If you don’t mind.”

“Dude, of course I don’t mind. I know you don’t like to leave things unfinished.”

Link paused, then took off his jacket and bent to untie his boots. By the time Rhett got up and locked the office door, he had left his glasses on the desk and was heading for the corduroy chair.

“Wait,” Rhett said.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just had a thought. Why don’t you lay on the couch this time? See if you like it better that way.”

In that instant something kindled in Link’s eyes: a blue spark of memory, flash of tinder and slate, smoldering coals held at bay now flaring into life. He bit his lip, and then he let out a slow, steadying breath.

“Only if you want to,” Rhett said.

Link smiled.

The sofa was a favorite piece they had special-ordered back when they first bought this place — comfy, spill-resistant, long enough for Rhett to nap on without his legs dangling off and wide enough for Link to sprawl across without tweaking his bad shoulder. Link stretched out on his back where Rhett had lain a few minutes before, with his head at the end facing the door so the lamp wouldn’t shine in his face. He laced his hands on his belly in the usual way and shimmied a little against the cushions, getting himself comfortable. His Green Lantern t-shirt hiked up a little as he moved, just enough to show the waistband of his skivvies peeking from his jeans and a stripe of pale white skin above one hipbone. He sighed and closed his eyes.

Rhett stood a few feet away, watching. His chair remained pushed against his desk; he wouldn’t need it tonight. Phone switched off, hands in his pockets, he waited while Link settled in.

“You good?”

“Yeah.”

A pause, and then: “Link. Hey.”

His eyes opened — big and bright, brows quirking in the middle, tiny curious crease between them.

“Trust me.”

The crease disappeared in a grin. “I always have.”

He looked up at the ceiling, blinking at the blurry view without his glasses. Rhett watched him, waiting for the nod that was their unspoken signal.

“Ready? Here we go. Aerodynautical.”

Link’s eyes instantly fell closed. His toes stopped wigging, and his lips parted with a little sigh, soft and slack. Rhett began to move closer.

“Relax, Link. That’s good. Just breathe, nice and slow. Relax. Breathing in... and out. Good. I thought you might like to lie down this time — I know you like your chair, but isn’t it nice to stretch all the way out like this? It’s more comfortable, isn’t it. It feels good to just lie here, to feel the cushions underneath you, soft and safe and comfortable... so easy to just let yourself sink into them, a little more with every breath.” He crouched beside Link’s head, leaning close to one ear. “That’s it, Link. Deeper down, deeper now than you’ve ever been before. So soft and tired and sleepy. You’ve worked so hard this week, haven’t you? You’ve earned some rest.”

Link’s eyes fluttered once and then went still. Gently, Rhett reached over and unlaced his hands, lifting them one at a time to unbend his arms and let them rest at his sides. Link did not move. Rhett scraped a hand through his beard, drew in a deep breath and let it out. _Here we go._ He sat on the floor near Link’s head, propping himself on his palms so he could lean all the way forward to brush his lips against Link’s ear. Slow and steady, keeping his voice low and even, he began to speak.

“You’ve done so well, Link, you’re such a good listener, and it makes me so happy that I can do this for you. It feels good to let me take care of you like this, doesn’t it, it feels good to relax and let everything go and slip away and fade into the distance except for me, except for my voice, until everything else disappears and nothing exists except you and me. Because the more I talk, the more relaxed you get, more and more with every word, letting my voice pull you down and down and down... so sleepy and soft and comfortable, so safe and warm, arms and legs so still and heavy that it’s almost like they’re made of stone, like they’re so heavy that you couldn’t lift them even if you tried. I know you don’t want to try, but if you did try I think your hands would be too heavy to move, so heavy it feels like your arms are weighed down with anchors and couldn’t possibly move unless I tell them to. But you can still feel them, I know. You can feel everything — your heart beating, your breath, the couch beneath you, your clothes, your skin, all over, every inch of you. You feel so sleepy now but every inch of your skin is awake, isn't it, every bit of it, feeling the air touching you, your clothes touching you... it’s almost like my voice is touching you, too, isn’t it? It’s almost like the sound of my voice is like fingers touching you, moving over you, all over, everywhere, all at once.”

Link’s mouth opened. His dick was already swelling beneath his jeans; he sighed and his hips shifted, but not a muscle moved in his arms or legs. His throat worked once as he swallowed, and his breath began to come a little harder.

“You feel it, don’t you, Link? I know you do. I know you feel what my voice is doing to you, because this is what it’s done since the first day we started, isn’t it? This is what you feel when you think about me, when you’re alone at night. But you’re not alone anymore, Link. You’re here with me now and there's no reason to hold anything back anymore. Not anymore. I want all of you, Link, right here, right now, open in front of me. You asked for my help, Link, you gave me the power to do this for you, you gave me something I didn’t know I wanted, and now I’m going to give you something in return. And you’re going to listen very closely to me, Link, and you’re going to be very, very glad you did. Are you listening? Are you listening to me, Link?”

Breathlessly: “Yes.”

“Yes you are. You’re listening to me because I told you to, because my voice is raising goosebumps all over your body, every word I say is like my hands on you, touching you, light, soft, across your neck, your chest, your stomach, your thighs. Feel my breath on your neck, Link. Feel what it’s doing to you. Every word in your ear, in your head, in your chest, your belly, all the way through you.”

Link shivered and bit his lip. His hips rolled again on the cushions, his dick fully hard now, straining against thick denim. _Not too fast,_ Rhett thought. _Not too much, not yet._

“Just breathe, Link, breathe and listen. I know you want to touch yourself but that’s not going to happen. You’re too sleepy for that, aren’t you, too tired, too heavy, hands too heavy to move. Don’t move, Link. Don’t move...”

Link’s eyebrows twitched in frustration. His neck had flushed dark, straining with effort. Sweat sprang out on his forehead.

“Listen to me, Link. Are you listening? You’re doing so well. Just breathe for me. Breathe and listen and feel. I know this feels good, and it’s about to feel a lot better. I’m going to start counting. I’m going to count from one to ten. And when I reach ten, you’re going to come so hard it’s gonna feel like your heart’s about to explode. But not until I reach ten. Not until I say ‘ten’. Listen to me, Link. You can hear me, I know. Every part of you is hearing me. Every inch of you can feel what I’m saying. _...One._ ”

Link’s breath came rougher now — not ragged yet, but fast and deep. His nipples strained beneath his t-shirt, catching on the thin fabric with each breath.

“Feel the air moving in and out of your chest every time you breathe, moving with every breath, slow and steady. Your shirt moves against you every time you breathe. You feel it, don’t you? Every time you breathe, like fingers touching you, like lips kissing you. Every time you breathe it’s like my lips are there, like my tongue flicking back and forth with every word I say. ... _Two._ ”

Link’s hips jerked and he gave a soft moan. His head tipped back, mouth open, and his eyelids began to quiver.

“I know it’s good, Link, I know you want to touch yourself but you’re not going to, I’m going to do it for you and I’m not going to lay a finger on you. Keep listening to me, Link, my voice is doing this to you, remember that, my voice is making you feel this way and I will do this for you any time you want it, any time you ask me I will give this to you... _three_... Listen to me, Link, hear my voice, feel it sparking down through you from the top of your head to the soles of your feet, like lightning through every part of you, again and again.... _four_...”

Rhett shifted where he sat on the floor, both to spare his back and to free his dick where it was pressing painfully into his belly. Link wasn’t the only one who was going to have to wait. He grabbed a pillow and shoved it under his ass, making a mental note to pick a different venue next time. Then he bent back to work, licked his dry lips once before brushing his beard against Link’s ear to see him shiver and tremble.

“Every word, Link, more and more, higher and higher, a little bit closer with each breath but waiting, waiting for me, waiting... _five_...”

Link made a strangled sound. “—please—”

“No, Link, not yet, you’re so close now but you’re not there yet, you have to keep listening, keep feeling, more and more with every breath, all of you, not just your dick but your belly and chest and hands and mouth... feel my voice touching you, Link, stroking you, hard where you want it hard, soft where you want it soft, everywhere you want to be touched. _Six_...”

Link’s fingers began to scrabble and grasp at the couch, scratching the upholstery, trying desperately to close into fists. His heels dug into the cushions while his hips tried to roll enough to rub himself against the seam of his jeans. He was rock hard now, so hard that his slick pink head poked from the waistband of his jeans, leaving smears of moisture in the dark hair where it rubbed against his clenching abs.

“Shhhh... not yet, Link, sh, not yet, just breathe, relax, relax now... arms and legs heavy, heavy and still, so heavy and still and deep, waiting and listening, listening to me... _seven_...”

Link’s breath turned to gasps. “...so close...”

“I know, Link, I know you’re close, you’re so close now but not yet, not until I tell you, no moving, only listening, listening to me, keep listening to me, my voice is doing this to you Link, every word I say goes right to your dick, hard and fast and tight... _eight_...”

His head arched on the sofa — hair mussed and damp, sweat pearled on his forehead, cords standing out on his neck. His mouth hung open, gasping for air, his eyelid twitching and fluttering. His legs were slack but they trembled, and so did his torso and arms, his hands scrabbling in vain at the cushions, clutching for purchase. His hips tried desperately to thrust, unable to do more than shift and squirm while his dick strained against the denim. Rhett reached down and undid his top two buttons so he could spring free, hard and flushed nearly purple, slick with sweat and pearled with moisture, bobbing in time with his heart. _Holy Christ,_ Rhett thought, but there was no time to pause for a more thorough appreciation.

“So close now Link, so close, nothing now but this, nothing but me, you’re about to explode I know but you’re not there yet, no yet, just breathe, Link, hold on, hold on to me... _nine_...”

Link whined, his entire body shuddering like demons were flying from him. Rhett rose to his knees and leaned over to put a hand on each shoulder, holding him steady so he didn’t hurt himself.

“This is gonna be the best fucking thing you ever felt in your life, Link, and I will do this for you any time you want, again and again and again whenever you ask me to because I love you, I love you so fucking much, Link, you’re beautiful...” He kissed one burning, sweat-slick cheek. “Te—”

A sound like a guttural roar ripped from Link’s throat. He convulsed, pressed his heels against the couch, and shot stream after stream across his Green Lantern t-shirt. Thick drops splattered his chest, his shoulder, his neck, reaching one collar bone and sending Rhett ducking to avoid a money shot. Every pulse drew a choked moan from him, growing hoarse as spasm after spasm wracked through him. It must have been 20 or 30 seconds before he finally went limp, bathed in sweat, breathing like a man who’d just been saved from drowning. His dick gave one more throb, spent and already softening against the hair on his belly, and he shivered. Heat poured from him in waves while the pulse hammered in his throat. His eyes opened, huge and staring upside-down at Rhett, brilliant blue around dilated pupils.

Rhett wiped a bead of sweat from Link’s face. His bangs were stuck to his forehead in wet strings, and when Rhett smoothed them aside, he didn’t protest. He was looking at Rhett with a kind of dazed wonder — fragmented and beautiful, like shards of shattered stained glass. His eyes were clear and lucid, but as he caught his breath they began to grow hazy with exhaustion. Rhett cupped his cheek, stroked his brow with one thumb.

“Rhett...”

“Shh. Catch your breath. I’m right here. Just rest for a few minutes. Go to sleep.”

Link blinked at him, too tired to smile, but giving a pretty good effort. His eyes grew heavy, and in another breath or two he was fast asleep.

Rhett sat back on his heels and rubbed his face with sweaty hands. He was so hard it made his head ache, and his thighs trembled when he hauled himself to his feet and headed into the bathroom. He stared at his reflection in the mirror — round eyes, flushed cheeks, sweat rolling down his temples — and leaned on one hand against the sink while the other unzipped his jeans. He barely touched his dick before he came so hard he had to grab the towel bar to stop his knees from buckling. He bit his lip to stifle his grunts and closed his eyes, seeing Link’s mouth in a perfect O of ecstasy, his whole body trembling like it was being exorcised, his eyes fluttering as his brain short-circuited and he shot himself empty from nothing but the sound of Rhett’s voice.

When he got his breath back, Rhett cleaned himself up and washed his hands, then squeezed a fresh cloth beneath warm water and brought it back into the office. He crouched beside Link and began gently sponging off his neck and chest — he didn’t want Link to wake up and feel self-conscious about the mess he'd made, even if it was a pretty impressive mess. After a few passes, Link’s eyes opened. He stretched against the couch, lazy and sated.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Rhett daubed his collarbone a few more times. “You OK?”

“Yeah. My head’s spinning a little.”

“I’m not surprised. I thought you were having a stroke.”

Link smiled, too blissed-out for any reaction beyond a drowsy grin. His frantic flush was gone and his breathing was soft and regular, but as he grinned his cheeks turned faintly pink. “I can’t believe that just happened.”

“Did you like it?”

Link tried to reply, but in the end he just closed his eyes and laughed softly. “Oh gosh.”

Rhett laughed too. He folded up the wash cloth and moved to toss it on the coffee table.

“Rhett?”

“Hm?”

“I love you, too.”

Rhett turned to stare at him. Link smiled, and Rhett dropped the cloth and crawled up onto the sofa to stretch out full-length alongside him. Link rolled over enough to give him room — not quite enough room, but enough for Rhett to curl up on his side and pull Link close against his chest. His heart knocked against his ribs, and soon Rhett’s ramped up to match. He inhaled the smell of sex on Link’s skin, deep and salty, damp with the lingering heat still coming off him. They fit together perfectly, and Rhett sighed and kissed the top of Link’s head.

“You’re damn right you do.”

Link made a scoffing sound and nudged an elbow in his ribs. After a minute he said, “So, are you gonna count me up like that from now on?”

“If I do you’re gonna run out of t-shirts.”

Link laughed, shaking the couch with his giggles. When it subsided he stretched again and said, “You know, if we keep laying here like this, we’re gonna fall asleep.”

“So? You got somewhere to be?”

“Do you?”

Rhett wrapped his arms around Link and squeezed. “Nope.”

For a while they lay there together in the soft lamp light. Rhett pressed his lips to the back of Link’s neck and closed his eyes, smiling beneath his beard as endless futures opened one by one like flowers in his imagination.

“Rhett?”

“Mm?”

He was nearly asleep now, but Rhett could hear the grin in his voice. “This is gonna be a hell of a weekend.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **playlist:**  
> [Stripped](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U662cA1u374) (Depeche Mode)  
> [Lullaby](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcplJOtOwDQ) (Concrete Blonde)  
> [Trust in Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHMwgtlqJM4) (Siouxsie & the Banshees)  
> [Under](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huW9B3MgfG4) (Morgan Page Remix)  
> [In Your Room](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_6GYfSea5Y) (Depeche Mode)  
> [Beautiful](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX3q1N64-K0) (Portishead)


End file.
